Many rod holders have been developed for installing on the gunwale of boats and the like but normally, they are cumbersome and relatively large in size. It is important when mounting a fishing rod on a boat for trolling and still fishing, that the rod be mounted so that when a strike occurs, the rod can be lifted directly upward from the rod holder for setting the hook in the fish's mouth. Examples of rod holders presently utilized are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,178,655, 2,734,205 and 3,095,663. In an attempt to produce a rod holder wherein the rod can be readily mounted on the gunwale of a boat, rings have been provided for slipping over the handle of the rod. One problem of just using a simple ring for slipping over the handle of the rod is that when the holder was being used for trolling for fish and a strike occurred behind the boat, the rod would tilt rearwardly in the holder and possibly slide out of the ring.
Another problem with rod holders heretofore utilized is that they form obstructions in the boat and when not in use, they remain mounted on the boat. When the boat was used for pleasure as well as for fishing, these obstructions became hazardous to the occupants of the boat.